Fantasmic Buffett

[karylrocks]

Payment is required when you make the reservation.

 

[jghra]

My SIL will be with us and she will have a scooter or wheel chair. Is it possible for her to get to the balcony without having to do stairs? She can leave the scooter behind and walk to a chair, but does not do stairs very well.

Is the best view balcony seating or are there other options that are better?

(I know free is good, but I don't want to take up our vacation time waiting for the show to start, unless we have too).

 

[Eeyorecln]

Help! Due to the mixed reviews I have read on the Fantasmic Buffet, my DH and I aren't sure whether to budget for it or other things. It looks to be costly for a family of 5(and a 1 YO, I assume will be free). If they have it when we go(Dec.13-18), should we splurge as a one time thing or save our money and do something else like an extra character meal or bigger souvenirs.

 

[macbaby]

jghra: I believe your sister-in-law will be taken up through the Club 33 elevator and into the gallery. There is a flight of stairs up to the Gallery entrance and another few steps up into the main level of the Gallery.

I am a local and we visit three or four times a year for extended visits. I always book the balcony when ever we plan to view Fantasmic - at least twice a year. On my last visit (3-12-05) people were already sitting down to reserve seats when we walked by at 4:30! I much prefer to relax and enjoy my trip (as do my 72 year old mother and 10 and 13 year old nieces). Do I think it is worth the money? Yes! Would I pay to sit in the Premium seating on the river front? No!

PS - They also offer reserved seating for the Electric Parade in California Adventure. This is not worth the money - seats are easy to come by for the parade.

 

[jghra]

Macbaby - thanks for the info. I am still thinking about the cost, but I think if I can pull it together it would be worth it. We are WDW fanantics, so I am not sure when we will make it back to DL. So I am swaying in a positive way to reserve the balcony. This will be a very special trip for my family(DH, DS) and extended family (Mom, Brother & his family), so a special treat like this would be a great surprise. Glad to her SIL should not have any trouble getting to the balcony as well.

 

[lark]

I understand that the seats are prime. That doesn't make it right that Disney gets away with charging $49.00 . I also don't like that sodas cost
$2.00 - $3.00 as well. I still don't think Walt would appreciate this if her were still running the park.

I'm going to sound way more pedantic here than I mean to, but ultimately I think Walt understood supply and demand as well as the next guy.

There comes a point with disney where you realize that they spend a great deal of effort trying to price things in a way that will maximize usage at the highest price that people are willing to pay. Fantasmic isn't the only example of this, and ultimately I agree that it's disappointing, but I guess at some point I just try to remember that this same kind of drive for dollars is the very same motivator that makes them keep creating parks and attractions that my family and I love.

It's a lot to pay to save yourself a couple of hours of staking out a spot, that's for sure. But how much do you value those two hours? Tough to say -- if you're going to be there for 4 days, no big deal, I guess, but if you only get a day and a half, maybe the calculation is different.

 

[karylrocks]

It's not just Disney - the entire entertainment industry has gotten way out of control with pricing; $10 to see a movie and another $10 for popcorn and a soda, $50 to $100 (or more) to see a play, concert, or a sporting event, etc. Fantasmic is available to everyone in the park, and if you go to the second showing you can get there at 9:30 and only wait an hour for the show. The Fantasmic Buffet is just for those who can afford to and have some reason to want to do it. There is very limited seating, so that will put a premium on the price. In the past I would not have considered it as we have been on a tight budget, but now things are not as tight and I am considering it as a special treat for my family (kids are teen through young adult). I think that overall Disney is not that bad pricewise for a family vacation; you get a lot for your day's admission (comparable in price to any other theme park) and there are many nice, affordable lodgings nearby.

 

[princssdisnygina]

So...what is the difference between fantasmic at DL compared to WDW??? I have done fantasmic at WDW many many times! Any info would be great as my mom and I are taking a christmas trip to DL!

Thanks, Gina

 

[momzilla59]

I have been warned by more than one DL expert that Fantasmic at DL tends to be more Seasonal than in WDW. It only runs if the park is open past 9 pm.(which means mostly weekends), and weather plays a significant role in it's appearance. If it is too wet or windy they can't show it.
We've seen Fantasmic in both DL and WDW and the DL version is superior. It is a lot more comfortable to sit on the grass than it is those metal seats. Yes, you are crowded together but Everything at DL is a bit more cozy. The addition of the Columbia with Peter Pan makes all the crush worthwile. I do hope you get to see it.
Personally I'd skip the buffet, it has been reviewed as borderline mediocre at best. If you have to watch your sugar intake there isn't much for you.
I have to add one thing, whem Fantasmic and the Fireworks are playing you have VERY short waits at the most of the rides.

 

[DonnaDavid]

I booked the Fantasmic balcony for 3/22. If we're in So CA lately, it's going to rain and rain it did. Just for the heck of it, I called to see if we could reschedule for the next evening; the balcony was sold out, of course, but there was lots of seating for the premium viewing down by the river. I have a family of 5 and it was Spring Break, so I decided it was worth it to try the premium seating. However, I must say that I was not impressed by the superiority of DL's Fantasmic to WDW's version. I was very impressed by the Columbia, and it was fun to be closer than usual; otherwise, the images on the water screens were not as clear as in WDW and the show felt shorter. As has been mentioned above, the desserts at the premium area are not that good but the service was excellent.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but I won't do it again. I'm happy to have seen DL's Fantasmic, but in the future, I'll stick to WDW.